The five-kilometre pilot project will link the existing Abu Dhabi- Dubai main road (E11) and the new Abu Dhabi-Dubai main road (E311). The construction of the green road[3] is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015.

The project will act as a model for future roads to be built in the capital and will adopt globally accepted standards of sustainable practices, the DoT said.

Environmental friendly materials such as recycled asphalt, concrete aggregates and scarp rubber tyres will be used for the construction of the Middle East’s first green road.

“The Green Road project[4] is one of the strategic initiatives undertaken by the DoT to attain the Surface Transport Master Plan vision and its priorities by developing integrated road network that addresses the current and future needs of Abu Dhabi whilst setting an example of environment-friendly projects,” the department said in a statement.

The DoT has said that construction work on the new road will not affect traffic flows and that a number of detours have been arranged.

The department is collaborating with international institutes and consultants along with strategic stakeholders such as the urban Planning Council (UPC), Estidamma Programme Team, the Environment Agency In Abu Dhabi and Masdar[5] for the construction of the green road.

“Upon completion of the Green Road pilot project, the outcomes will be evaluated, analysed and used to improve the set guidelines as well as a rating system for future implementation of green roads throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” said the department.

The DoT had also recently announced the expansion of the Abu Dhabi- Al Shahama highway, which is in line with the capital’s Surface Transport Master Plan.[6]